Child Abuse by the Government

Nate Tseglin, a 17-year-old autistic boy, was removed from his home and placed in a state-run mental institution because Child Protective Services disagreed with his parents’ treatment choices.

A teacher called CPS after seeing self-inflicted scratches on Nate's body and complained about the doctor-approved arm restraints used by Nate’s parents to keep him from hurting himself. Soon the Tseglins found themselves at loggerheads with the government over Nate's proper treatment.

The parents are opposed to the use of psychotropic drugs and argue that Nate has had strong negative reactions to them. They have had success, however, with an alternative, holistic approach that focuses on diet and psychiatric counseling. CPS disagreed with the treatment and forcibly removed the boy from his home.

After he ran away from the group home where he was initially placed, the government transferred Nate to a mental hospital. The Tseglins say the drugs the hospital gave Nate caused him to have a grand mal seizure, and his health has continued to deteriorate. When the Tseglins visited Nate over the summer, they found his face swollen, and he faded in and out of consciousness and suffered from convulsions.

The Tseglins claim Child Protective Services has told them they have the “wrong set of beliefs” and even threatened to force them to undergo a court-ordered psychological evaluation.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

“What kind of society rips a 17-year-old autistic boy from his loving home and places him in a state-run mental institution, where he is given heavy doses of drugs, kept physically restrained, kept away from his family, deprived of books and other mental stimulation and is left alone to rot?”

So begins this heart wrenching article in the Orange County Register. What kind of society, indeed? Apparently the one we’re trying to survive in right now, where disease mongering and political medicalization of society is the agenda of the day.

More and more we’re seeing courts siding with misguided government “officials” in closed family-court proceedings. Parents are increasingly cut out of the decision-making process about what’s in their child’s best interest with regards to their health.

The fact that a teenager – who’s only “crime” is that he’s autistic, and whose parents decided that drugs were ineffective in his treatment – can be ripped from his family and locked up in an institution that houses the criminally insane should be a wakeup call for parents everywhere. There’s something seriously wrong going on here.

The state claims that it knows best; that forced drugging in a closed institution is the way to “treat” this autistic child, despite the fact that he has loving parents who have been willing to treat him through alternative, non-toxic, non-lethal means at home, for years.

The United States already has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Are we also looking at a future of government-run psychiatric institutions filled to the brim with autistic children whose parents refuse to abide by drug company politics?

It’s a heartbreaking tragedy that children like Nate are being forcibly medicated into a stupor with powerful poisons -- all of which will have far-reaching, long-term ramifications. These medicines may provide some benefit in some extreme cases where an actual mental disorder exists. However, these drugs -- in no way, shape, or form -- even begin to treat the foundational cause of your child’s problem.

This article does not specify which medications are given to Nate to “treat” his autistic behavioral problems. However, throwing antipsychotic drugs -- particularly off-label concoctions meant for adults -- at kids is common practice, and one of the worst abuses of conventional medicine.

This issue is particularly distressing because the diet changes I recommend work so well for so many of these problems.

Improve Autism and Correct Behavioral Problems Without Drugs

Behavioral problems in children, including autism, are very frequently related to improper diet, and previous or current exposure to toxins.

I have treated many thousands of children with autism and ADHD and have seen most of them improve in some way, and frequently quite dramatically. Many completely normalize once we address the underlying causes, which are almost always related to these factors:

Many parents notice an improvement after starting their child on gluten-free, casein-free (GF/CF) diets. However, this is only a small portion of the dietary changes that are required. The great majority of children experience profound improvements when other grains like rice, corn and potatoes are removed from their diet.

Autistic children can also benefit from a high-quality probiotic supplement to help treat common gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.

The foods your children eat have a far more profound influence on their emotions and outward behavior than you may think. This is particularly true for sugars and grains that require insulin to metabolize them. Elevated insulin levels will lead to disrupted serotonin and other neurochemicals, which will lead to depression.

It’s downright tragic that wonderful tools like high-quality fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are not used more frequently. Sixty percent of your brain is composed of fat and half of that fat is DHA, one of the fats in fish oil. Your body can't make it, and if you don't supply it through your diet you will suffer neurological complications.

Exercise can also be beneficial in helping children with emotional disturbances of all kinds. Today many children lead sedentary lifestyles with little physical activity, which can add to the natural inclination of children to “act out.”

Other tools, which I’ve found to be more effective than traditional psychotherapy, are energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Consulting with an EFT professional can be an amazing start.

Consistent application of EFT can help with the angers, frustrations and other behavior problems that accompany autism. As an example, Linda Johnson wrote the following on the EFT Web site.

"With my autistic son, I tapped one night as a surrogate for 'focus and attention,' 'hearing what people are saying,' 'better social connection' and 'neurological symptoms.' The next morning, for the first time, he got dressed without prompting at each step while watching the news on television. An absolute first. Doing two things at the same time."

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.